Web service asset management and web service information storage

• US 9,026,652 B1
• Filed: 07/09/2014
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FMR LLC
• Original Assignee: FMR LLC
• Inventors: Piehler, Todd, Moran, Rick, Noonan, Caren, LaPrade, Bill
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THU HA T
• Application Number:
  US14/327,470
• Time in Patent Office: 300 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/84 Mapping; Conversion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/75 Structural analysis for program understanding
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

Described herein are methods and systems for management of web services, including relationship mapping, searching, data mapping, importing web service information to and exporting web service information from a web services repository, and discovering web services at run-time.

Claims

1. A computerized method for relationship mapping, searching, and data mapping for web services, the method comprising:

a) generating a relationship mapping between a plurality of web services executed in a first computing environment comprising a plurality of computing devices, the generating comprising;

performing, by a relationship mapping module of a second computing device external to the first computing environment, a consumption analysis of the plurality of web services comprising a determination of which other web services, artifacts, or resources that each web service uses during execution;

performing, by the relationship mapping module, a composition analysis of the plurality of web services comprising a determination of a structure or hierarchy of each web service as well as the interrelationships between the web services;

determining, by the relationship mapping module, a relationship between two or more of the plurality of web services based on the consumption analysis and the composition analysis, the determining step including identifying a business process associated with the relationship; and

storing, by the relationship mapping module, the determined relationship and associated business process identification in a web services repository;

b) locating, by a search module of the second computing device, metadata about a web service in the web services repository based upon a plurality of web service attributes, the web services repository including a search index applied to the metadata; and

c) mapping, by a data mapping module of the second computing device, a web service definition document to a data source, the mapping comprising;

importing, by the data mapping module, the web service definition document into the web services repository;

determining, by the data mapping module, one or more data sources associated with the web service definition;

associating, by the data mapping module, a first data element of the one or more data sources with a second data element of the web service definition;

storing, by the data mapping module, the association between the first data element and the second data element in the web services repository; and

exporting, by the data mapping module, the web service definition document upon request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the relationship between two or more of the plurality of web services is unidirectional or bidirectional.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the relationship between two or more of the plurality of web services indicates that a first web service consumes a second web service or that a first web service is consumed by a second web service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the relationship between two or more of the plurality of web services indicates that a first web service is composed of a second web service and a third web service.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of web service attributes include a keyword, a deployment platform, a service owner, a data source, a status, an application name, a business process, a development project, and a release date.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein loading the step of importing the web service definition into the web services repository comprises:

receiving, by the data mapping module, the web service definition document; and

parsing, by the data mapping module, the web service definition document.

7. A computerized method for discovery and management of web services at run-time, the method comprising:

analyzing, by a web service analysis module of a second computing device, an active unregistered web service to determine a first set of operational characteristics, the active web service executing in a first computing environment comprising a plurality of computing devices;

determining, by a relationship mapping module of the second computing device, a relationship between the active web service and one or more other web services based upon i) consumption of web service artifacts by the active web service comprising a determination of which other web services, artifacts, or resources that each web service uses during execution and ii) web service composition of the active web service comprising a determination of a structure or hierarchy of each web service as well as the interrelationships between the web services, the determining step including identifying a business process associated with the relationship; and

storing, by the relationship mapping module, the first set of operational characteristics, the determined relationship and associated business process in the web services repository to register the active web service;

analyzing, by the web service analysis module at a later point in time, a second set of operational characteristics of the active web service;

comparing, by the web service analysis module, the second set of operational characteristics to the stored first set of operational characteristics for the active web service in the web services repository; and

updating, by the web service analysis module, the stored first set of operational characteristics based upon the second set of operational characteristics.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the operational characteristics include a software platform and/or hardware platform on which the active web service is located.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the operational characteristics include run-time statistics associated with the active web service.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein determining a relationship between the active web service and one or more other web services includes identifying one or more web services called by the active web service.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein determining a relationship between the active web service and one or more other web services includes identifying one or more web services that provide data to the active web service.

12. A computerized system for relationship mapping, searching, and data mapping for web services, the system comprising:

a second computing device having a processor and being coupled to a web services repository storing information associated with a plurality of web services, the web services executed in a first computing environment comprising a plurality of computing devices and the second computing device being external to the first computing environment;

a relationship mapping module executing on the processor, the relationship mapping module configured to;

generate a relationship mapping between the plurality of web services, the generating comprising;

performing a consumption analysis of the plurality of web services comprising a determination of which other web services, artifacts, or resources that each web service uses during execution;

performing a composition analysis of the plurality of web services comprising a determination of a structure or hierarchy of each web service as well as the interrelationships between the web services;

determining a relationship between two or more of the plurality of web services based on the consumption analysis and the composition analysis, the determining step including identifying a business process associated with the relationship; and

storing the determined relationship and associated business process in the web services repository;

a search module executing on the processor, the search module configured to locate metadata about a web service in the web services repository based upon a plurality of web service attributes, the web services repository including a search index applied to the metadata;

a data mapping module executing on the processor, the data mapping module configured to map a web service definition to a data source, the mapping comprising;

importing the web service definition into the web services repository;

determining one or more data sources associated with the web service definition;

associating a first data element of the one or more data sources with a second data element of the web service definition;

storing the association between the first data element and the second data element in the web services repository; and

exporting the web service definition document upon request.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the relationship between two or more of the plurality of web services is unidirectional or bidirectional.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the relationship between two or more of the plurality of web services indicates that a first web service consumes a second web service or that a first web service is consumed by a second web service.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the relationship between two or more of the plurality of web services indicates that a first web service is composed of a second web service and a third web service.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of web service attributes include a keyword, a deployment platform, a service owner, a data source, a status, an application name, a business process, a development project, and a release date.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the step of importing the web service definition into the web services repository comprises:

receiving the web service definition document; and

parsing the web service definition document.

18. A computerized system for discovery and management of web services at run-time, the system comprising:

a second computing device having a processor and being coupled to a web services repository storing information associated with a plurality of web services, the web services executed in a first computing environment comprising a plurality of computing devices and the second computing device being external to the first computing environment;

a web service analysis module executing on the processor, the web service analysis module configured to

analyze an active unregistered web service of the plurality of web services to determine a first set of operational characteristics;

a relationship mapping module executing on the processor, the relationship mapping module configured to

determine a relationship between the active web service and one or more other web services based upon i) consumption of web service artifacts by the active web service comprising a determination of which other web services, artifacts, or resources that each web service uses during execution and ii) web service composition of the active web service comprising a determination of a structure or hierarchy of each web service as well as the interrelationships between the web services, the determining step including identifying a business process associated with the relationship; and

store the first set of operational characteristics, the determined relationship and associated business process in the web services repository to register the active web service;

the web service analysis module further configured to

analyze, at a later point in time, a second set of operational characteristics of the active web service;

compare the second set of operational characteristics to the stored first set of operational characteristics for the active web service in the web services repository; and

update the stored first set of operational characteristics based upon the second set of operational characteristics.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the operational characteristics include a software platform and/or a hardware platform on which the active web service is located.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the operational characteristics include run-time statistics associated with the active web service.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein determining a relationship between the active web service and one or more other web services includes identifying one or more web services called by the active web service.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein determining a relationship between the active web service and one or more other web services includes identifying one or more web services that provide data to the active web service.